Apple to launch iPad Mini, 4th-gen iPad in India today

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Last Updated: Fri, Dec 07, 2012 04:26 hrs

Apple's iPad Mini is set to be launched in India tomorrow, according to a tweet posted by iStore&select=1 target=_blank style=text-decoration:none;cursor:hand;>Reliance Digital iStore, a leading seller of Apple products in the country. "Get set for the whole package in a smaller package! Get ready for the iPad Mini. Only @iStoreIndia from 7th December onwards," iStore has tweeted.

The fourth generation iPad is also set to make an appearance in India tomorrow. While Apple offered no official confirmation, technology blog BGR India reported the iPad Mini would start from Rs 21,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi variant.

The new iPad and iPad Mini will compete with tablets powered by Google's Android operating system, which is the dominant platform for over 100 Android-based tablets available in the Indian market.

According to a research report by Knowledgefaber, the tablet PC market in India is expected to show robust growth in the next five years with revenues from tablet sales reaching $6.5 billion by 2016. "Apple has managed to gain significant market share in India through sales of iPad 1 and iPad 2, although it was a late entrant in the Indian market when it launched the first generation iPad in India in May 2011. Reduction in price of iPad2 by 20 per cent in March, 2012 followed by the launch of iPad 3 provided further impetus to iPad sales and led to corresponding increase in iOS market share," says the report.

The iPad Mini features a 7.9-inch display, FaceTime HD and iSight cameras, ultrafast wireless performance and 10 hours of battery life. The new fourth generation iPad features a 9.7-inch Retina display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance with same 10 hours of battery life.

Amit Goel, chief executive officer, Knowledgefaber, believes India will remain a price-sensitive market as far as tablet PCs are concerned. "Apple has the best build-quality, app ecosystem and software-hardware integration, but it's not No.1 in India. Instead, tablet PCs available at affordable price-points, decent hardware in terms of touch-screen and battery life along with bundled content for education and entertainment will find traction in India," he says.

By Knowledgefaber estimates, players like Micromax, Karbonn and HCL Technologies alone are estimated to sell about 350,000 units, with a majority of sales in the seven-inch category in 2012, though Micromax and Karbonn entered the tablet PC market only in 2012.

In terms of price-points, bulk of seven-inch tablet PCs offered by domestic vendors are priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000, while tablet PCs offered by home-grown vendors in the 10-inch category are priced in the range of Rs 9,000-Rs 12,000.